Thursday, May 12, 2016

Photo Credit: Björn Handell

Eleven-Year-Old Skateboarder Brighton Zeuner is the youngest female athlete invited to X Games in the History of Event

At only 11 years of age, Brighton Zeuner is making her way through the skateboarding ranks after just turning pro earlier this year and will be making history this summer as the youngest female athlete ever to be invited to the action sports event, summer or winter, in 22 years. Brighton started skating competitively three years ago when she and her family moved to Encinitas, California. While Brighton also competes in the skateboard disciplines of bowl, street and vert, she has been invited to compete in the Women’s Skateboard Park competition at X Games which will be held June 2- 5, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Women's Skateboard Park will be live on Saturday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

"I keep waking up and thinking my invitation to the X Games is a dream, but it's really happening,” Zeuner said about her invite. “Three years ago, I saw Alanna Smith on TV skating at the X Games - someone I skated with and looked up to - and I remember thinking that anything's possible if you go for it. Now I find myself getting ready to compete at X Games, and I hope I can inspire girls just as I have been inspired.”

Another inspiration to Brighton is her older brother Jack. The siblings have a unique relationship and have both helped each other in their interest in skateboarding. Brighton was originally inspired to skate after watching her brother, and Jack was inspired to get into filmmaking after filming his sister skateboard. As the youngest, female athlete to ever be invited to X Games, Brighton is also in an elite group as one of four youngest athletes overall to be invited to the largest action sports event in the world.

ESPN and ABC will televise 20 hours of live X Games competition from June 2-5, 2016. Women's Skateboard Park will be live on Saturday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3, which viewers can access online through their cable provider.